Civil and police administrations here in Daltonganj had tough hours today in lifting a more than 4 hours NH 75 jam at the Redma crossing.
The jam was held in protest against the knocking down of a 35 year old man Sanjay Prajapati by a police control room van last night. The deceased was a poor employee of a shop at Redma. It is alleged the PCR van crushed him when he was on way to his house last night around 9.30.
There were two major demands. One of ex gratia relief and the other a government job for the widow of Sanjay who was said to have 4 daughters.
SDO sadar Rajesh Kumar Sah and Assistant Superintendent of police cum sub divisional police officer Rishabha Garg IPS too stood their grounds making it clear there that what is due to the bereaved family in such situation will be given at the earliest but as regards job etc it would be a long administrative exercise and they two can't make any populist announcements which they 'fear they will not be able to fulfill'.
There came moments when the crowd of people tested the patience of Sah and Garg when they raised full throated anti police slogans. There was deployment of forces too but at one point of time it looked like calling for more reinforcements. However the two officers and their teams handled the situation. There turned up many civil society activists also on the scene.
Tension rose to a great height when the family and friends brought back the body to the Redma crossing delaying post mortem for more hours. The administration wanted an early post mortem while the protesters delayed it to extract more relief or assurances etc.
Garg assured the crowd that an FIR has been lodged. The PCR van is under police scrutiny. He said law will take its own course and no one should have any doubt about it.
Sah said under order of the DC Palamu Anjaneyulu Dodde the bereaved family will get one lakh of rupees as ex gratia relief. Rs 20,000 was given to the family for the last rites.
Two of the four daughters of the bereaved family would be covered with Savitri Bai Phule Kishori Samridhi Yojna. As for the job to the widow the officials have been asked to explore avenues to it.